Britomart Masterplan

Jasmax has held the vision for the regeneration of the precinct for more than two decades, having been responsible for the site’s initial masterplan with Mario Madayag. The practice went on to design the city’s most significant public transport interventions of recent years, the Britomart Transport Centre (also with Mario Madayag) and City Rail Link (CRL). Both of these projects have included extensive refurbishment and heritage upgrades to the CPO, which forms one of the city’s most iconic gateway structures. Now Aotearoa New Zealand’s best example of a TOD, these developments have catalysed the precinct’s commercial success and ultimate transformation into a premier tourism, retail and hospitality destination. Sowing the seeds for future increases to commercial activity, the early masterplan identified sites and opportunities for oversite development, determining the footprint for future buildings and leading to significant investment in the surrounding heritage buildings by Cooper and Company.

The practice’s involvement in the development of the Britomart precinct began when Auckland Council made plans to demolish the existing bus depot. Jasmax and Mario Madayag won the design competition for the Britomart Transport Centre and surrounding precinct masterplan, replacing the depot with an underground train station that that would draw passengers into the heart of the CBD for the first time. The turn of the 21^st century saw the opening of this successful station that links to the CPO. Jasmax’s work continues with the CRL network, which, upon completion in 2026, will transform Britomart Transport Centre into a through station named Waitematā Station, connecting existing rail lines with the new underground network linking together the city’s busiest retail, arts, entertainment, and cultural hubs and the outer suburbs.

Auckland Council’s vision is to transition the city’s urban identity from ​‘Auckland, City of Sails,’ to ​‘Tāmaki Makaurau’ through the crafting of public spaces enriched with stories of place and reflecting cultural values, to connect people to the rich Māori and colonial history of the site.

The 2000 Britomart masterplan positioned the precinct as the downtown civic heart of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. In establishing future land uses, it paved the way for lively and active streetscapes and laneways. It focused on the integration of a multi-modal transport interchange (rail, bus and ferry), connecting to a revitalised downtown waterfront precinct, and offering welcoming, vibrant, safe and pedestrianised public spaces. It has also supported a strong arts integration programme, with senior Māori artists commissioned to contribute to placemaking in numerous ways – from artworks that incorporate light, to paving design, sculpture, and murals.

In 2018, Jasmax collaborated with the CRL Mana Whenua Forum and Auckland Design Office to develop a series of transformational public spaces that would deliver on the aspirations of Auckland Council​’s Downtown Framework Plan. This was further progressed through the practice​’s role as part of the Auckland City Centre Design Collective (CCDC) – a group of five leading New Zealand public realm design consultants brought together to support the delivery of the Downtown Infrastructure Development Project (DIDP) and advance the integration of bi-cultural design. Jasmax prepared a public realm Reference Design for Britomart which coordinated the various project areas into a coordinated design strategy. As part of this work, Jasmax developed the redesign of Galway Street, transforming it into shared space, to coincide with the opening of Cooper and Company’s Hotel Britomart. Leveraging the CCDC’s expertise and knowledge, the process allowed for an integrated design strategy to be developed that considered the full precinct.

Jasmax’s contribution to the Britomart precinct and waterfront spans public transport, infrastructure, public realm, and several civic projects, culminating in the creation of Te Komititanga, a civic plaza and public junction that symbolises a whāriki, a welcome mat to the city. The delivery of major urban realm upgrades, such as this unique arrival space, Galway Street urban realm design and the Albert Street Bus Interchange, have further contributed to the evolution of Britomart and a cohesive approach to the design of public streetscaping and transport infrastructure.

Jasmax is exceptionally proud to have been involved in the evolution of this world-class TOD, which has realised the potential of the Britomart precinct. Drawing upon the learnings from this hugely successful project, the practice continues to develop a vision for how Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland can fully realise its potential and capitalise on the benefits of major land development opportunities.